Entry ban: MP files for review
Malaysiakini
PKR Member of Parliament for Padang Serai N Gobalakrishnan has applied for leave for a judicial review on his entry ban into Sarawak last Christmas Eve.
The leave application or notice for the judicial review will be heard in the Kuching High Court on Friday, Feb 6, according to lawyer Dominique Ng, who is also the party’s sole state assemblyperson and a member of the panel of lawyers handling the case.
The leave application was filed today.
Ng told Malaysiakini today that the application for judicial review in the Gobalakrishnan v state director of immigration and two others to challenge the MP’s entry ban from Sarawak was filed this morning.
Sealed copies were obtained in the afternoon.
“The leave application is scheduled to be heard in High Court I in Kuching at 9 am on Feb 6 2009,” he said, adding that the attorney-general, state attorney-general and the state secretary are being served with the sealed copies of the application for notice for judicial review of the matter.Politically motivated
Ng added that ‘a multi-racial dream team’ of PKR lawyers, including Orang Ulu lawyers Baru Bian and Harrison Ngau, Shankar Ram and himself will handle the case. “More lawyers are being sought to join the panel,” he said.
Gobalakrishnan was denied entry on Dec 24 at 5.30 pm when he flew into Kuching from Kuala Lumpur on a social visit. He told Malaysiakini that it was politically motivated and intended to take legal action against the authorities concerned.
He related then that the moment he reached the airport, immigration officers told him that he was not allowed to enter due to instructions from the state government.
“The immigration officer gave me a notice which reads ‘Tuan bukan rakyat Sarawak, tidak berhak untuk masuk ke Sarawak tanpa permit atau pas Akta Imigresen 1959-1963′ (You are not a citizen of Sarawak and are not eligible to enter Sarawak without a permit or immigration pass),’ he was quoted as saying.
He finally agreed to take a late night flight back to Kuala Lumpur in the same evening.
